Orient is a brand that has been around for well over seven decades, being founded in 1950. Now part of Seiko Epson, it can look back on an extensive heritage, and a good portion of that is in diving watches. That Orient knows what they are doing becomes instantly clear when handling the Orient M-Force with reference AC0L.

Orient launched its M-Force collection of diving watches back in 1997 and has since shown how it mastered this particular type of watch. Coming up with an original approach to diving watches is quite a challenge, all the more if you want to keep it an appropriate choice for the sport/profession it was intended for. Orient achieved this by taking the task very seriously, but at the same time, the maker didn’t get too serious either. With a diameter of 45mm, the M-Force seems to follow past trends, but this is far from the truth. With this Orient, the size is both functional as well as part of its character.
The dial legibility is very good with bold hour markers, oversized hands, and a wide diving bezel. Because it is all so well proportioned, this Orient actually looks smaller than it is. The only part for which this doesn’t count is the crown protector, which is not only oversized but also over-engineered. It adds quite a bit of character, and refined details prevent it from just being loud without adding anything else to the design. It also helps that this is a real tool watch and not something for show.

The M-Force is water...